Expressions of interest have opened for the 2026 CBH Grower Study Tour, with Western Australian growers set to visit key Southeast Asian grain markets in the Philippines and Thailand.
The annual initiative, run by CBH Marketing & Trading, aims to give growers direct exposure to export markets, supply chains and end-user demand. The 2026 tour is scheduled for September and will include site visits to ports, processing facilities and customer operations.
CBH chief marketing and trading officer Paul Smith said the selected destinations reflect their importance to Australian grain exports.
“The Philippines and Thailand are strategically significant markets for Australian grain,” he said.
“Our Grower Study Tours provide growers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see how WA grain fits into key South-East Asian markets.”
The program has been running for more than two decades, taking growers to major export destinations including China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Vietnam.
According to CBH, the tour is designed to strengthen understanding of how grain is marketed and consumed internationally, while also providing insights into customer requirements and quality expectations across different regions.
Participants will also engage directly with buyers and supply chain stakeholders, offering a clearer picture of how Western Australian grain is positioned in global markets.
Smith said the tours play an important role in building relationships across the supply chain.
“These tours are a great way to strengthen relationships between growers, CBH and our customers,” he said.
“We saw some fantastic connections form on last year’s tour to China, and it was great to see many of those growers reconnect at the recent Member Forum, AGM and Sundowner.
“CBH is proud to part-fund Grower Study Tours as part of its commitment to members.”
CBH part-funds the initiative, with growers contributing to travel costs. The program typically runs for around one week and is open to growers across Western Australia.
The Philippines represents a major and consistent export market, importing more than 3.5 million tonnes of Australian grain annually, largely for feed wheat. Thailand also remains a significant destination, with demand spanning feed and milling applications.
CBH said in a press release it would continue to monitor global conditions that may affect travel, noting that planning is proceeding as normal at this stage.
Expressions of interest for the 2026 Grower Study Tour close on 30 April.
